O2 free transfer paranoia ???

[Broken Crow]

Yeah..That's the nice thing about gas diptubes; With every keg I've checked: Classic cornys, modern repros, AEB, AMYCL and even the cheap imports, the gas diptube is sized to end at the stated capacity of the keg. Though it's useful to cut the gas tube shorter for purging, if you leave it then you can fill to a pretty exact amount without a scale by just waiting till it starts coming out the gas line. Mind you; If you're doing an already carbed transfer and you don't have adequate back-pressure, there'll likely be a sizable head of foam that comes out first.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

Here's a picture of it finished. Gravity just transfers until the gas-side tube starts to fill, then it stops. I work from home and usually just set it and come back in an hour or two.

Yep! Looks great!

I like to get mine started, then go out and mess around in the garden if it’s summer, or stack firewood if it’s cold weather. But sometimes, I just can’t resist grabbing a mug, pouring whatever’s on tap, and just sitting there sipping while watching all that happiness move down into my keg!

 

[Broken Crow]

Is this a good place to mention 'cheating'? I do fully closed-loop transfer and cheat;

4mins and 35 seconds to fill a 5G corny on a scale.
.. @stamandster recently made a really sweet racking pump rig: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/transfer-pump-housing-diy.734201/#post-10410828
...just sayin'

 

[Bassman2003]

Not sure how this works without putting air in the mix. How does it work?

 

[shoengine]

Is this a good place to mention 'cheating'? I do fully closed-loop transfer and cheat;
View attachment 859580
4mins and 35 seconds to fill a 5G corny on a scale.
.. @stamandster recently made a really sweet racking pump rig: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/transfer-pump-housing-diy.734201/#post-10410828
...just sayin'

Sounds about right. I push CO2, and it is about a gal a minute.

 

[Closet Fermenter]

Is this a good place to mention 'cheating'? I do fully closed-loop transfer and cheat;
View attachment 859580
4mins and 35 seconds to fill a 5G corny on a scale.

Well that takes all the fun out of it.

 

[Broken Crow]

Not sure how this works without putting air in the mix. How does it work?

Kegs, pump and CO2-return line are all sanitized and pressurized. My fermenters are Fermonsters with modded ball-lock lids, a Fermzilla and sankes that have my Fermhead on them. I simply plug the pump and gas line and switch it on till the scale reads approx. 18.927 kg (depending on gravity..and yes; it's metric because it's easy; 1kg of water = 1liter of water, so adjust for gravity) and then I switch it off and bring up the next keg.

 

[Bassman2003]

Thanks but I mean how does the pump work? Does it inject air anywhere or does it find a way to create suction without interrupting the line?

 

[bwible]

Sorry, I hate hazy beers..... and yeah, I forget 10 years ago was still 2014. I'm more from the HBD days.

…and just like that, 1974 was 50 years ago.

Some can relate. I started high school in 1974.

 

[Broken Crow]

Thanks but I mean how does the pump work? Does it inject air anywhere or does it find a way to create suction without interrupting the line?

12V 'RV-water pump' aka; diaphram pump; Self priming as it creates its own suction at the inlet and pressure at the outlet. These type of pumps can routinely handle pressures from 25psi-85psi or greater..same thing used for the Blichmann Quick-Carb or the 'racking-pumps'. I love these things, their only downside is that you can't use them with hot-side stuff but hey:
Horizontal or even 'anti-gravity' transfers without moving your FV and fully sealed and CO2-purgable. IMHO: Ideal for O2-free transfers for the disabled, the 'getting old' or the just plain lazy... or more importantly: Why move the FV if you don't have to?

EDIT: Big plus: It's easy to swag 1/4"(6.35mm)ID EVABarrier over the barbs; https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/eva-barrier-line-conversion.733937/page-2#post-10406957

 

[mac_1103]

Not sure how this works without putting air in the mix. How does it work?

Self priming as it creates its own suction at the inlet and pressure at the outlet.

So IOW you can purge by running CO2 through the lines and pump before hooking it up to transfer, right?

 

[Bassman2003]

Thanks. Looks good. So the diaphragm creates the suction and pressure without adding anything in to the line?

 

[Broken Crow]

So IOW you can purge by running CO2 through the lines and pump before hooking it up to transfer, right?

Thanks. Looks good. So the diaphragm creates the suction and pressure without adding anything in to the line?

Yup: The pump is essentially 'check-valved' to flow in one direction only. As a result you can use one of those cheap carb-caps on the disconnct for cleaning and filling with Star San and with the pump off, plug it into your CO2 and purge it. My utility CO2 rig has ball lock disconnects so I just use a coupler:

..and blow it out with a carb-cap on the output, pull that off and pressurize, usually with another coupler to the CO2 return line so I can do them in series and be ready to go.

 

[Bassman2003]

Thanks. You could also purge it like I purge my gravity transfers - fill up the tubing with the initial runnings into a 1/2 liter bottle (with T & carb cap) and pull the QD off once you get flow. That would prime the pump as well as purge the tubing allowing you to just put the QD on the receiving keg and go.

 

[02fx4dude]

FWIW, after 15 years of open transfers into kegs I decided to give the keg purge and closed transfer a try. Main reason being my son finally talked me into trying some hazy IPA recipes. But also I thought it might also help with pale lagers, and all beers in general, particularly for the mini batches I make that leave a larger headspace in the keg. I did the first closed transfer a few weeks ago and it really wasn't a big change from the procedures I used all those years. There's a bit more sanitizing for some extra hoses and fittings, and the gravity transfer from carboy to keg is an extra 5 minutes. Other than that it's pretty easy, not what I would consider extreme.


.

 

[mashdar]

Yeah..That's the nice thing about gas diptubes; With every keg I've checked: Classic cornys, modern repros, AEB, AMYCL and even the cheap imports, the gas diptube is sized to end at the stated capacity of the keg. Though it's useful to cut the gas tube shorter for purging, if you leave it then you can fill to a pretty exact amount without a scale by just waiting till it starts coming out the gas line. Mind you; If you're doing an already carbed transfer and you don't have adequate back-pressure, there'll likely be a sizable head of foam that comes out first.

For purging with liquid displacement, I pull the PRV. More messy and still not perfect because the PRV sticks down past the top of the lid. I still try to run some gas through the PRV when the star san is high to displace that last bit.

 

[Broken Crow]

For purging with liquid displacement, I pull the PRV. More messy and still not perfect because the PRV sticks down past the top of the lid. I still try to run some gas through the PRV when the star san is high to displace that last bit.

Yeah me too.. I usually blow CO2 into the liquid tube to maximize the CO2-filled bubbles on the surface and repeatedly pull the PRV on the theory that since the bubbles are entirely filled with CO2, the membrane would help push out the last bit of O2...not perfect, but leaves me mostly comfortable. Thanks for mentioning it though because now I'm gonna tag @KegLand and ask if they can consider making corny-keg lids with the PRV raised so as to leave the inside flush against the top... I know they're always looking for improvements on here and they're willing to do so with thier cornys.. I have 5 of them so far, the first 3 came with the white silicone lid o-rings that I had to replace, but they heard their customers and swapped them out for those nice bright yellow O2-free ones.. giving us a lid that facilitates purging seems a logical next step.. Hey @KegLand ..Will you consider it? I know I'd buy a whole set. Heck If I had my own tig-welder I'd get a bunch of the old coke lids that nobody wants, grind out the fixed PRV and weld a new surface mount one on.
Just a thought.

 

[mashdar]

I have a keg lid with a flush PRV! Only trouble is, it's a weirdo old stubby PRV with limited replacement options, so it's in the junk bin.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

I have this one. Yeah, the PRV is not one I would know how to replace, but I keep it in my rotation. I am guessing the F symbol is for Firestone.



Based on the pic in this post, it seems to be a "Type D": https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/corny-keg-poppets.455149/post-5846077

A search that includes "type d" gets a lot of hits about "D Type American Sankey" keg connections. I did find this odd looking PRV, but I don't think it is the right one:
https://beveragelements.com/beverag...cessories/keg-pressure-relief-valve-assembly/